Curtains To Love
by chipmunkwashere
Summary: When a ‘stupid’ game ends up putting Ash to the ultimate test, he is forced to make a risky decision that could break or secure his relationship with Misty forever… OneShot


**Preview **

When a 'stupid' game ends up putting Ash to the ultimate test, he is forced to make a risky decision that could break or secure his relationship with Misty forever…

**Author Notes**

I guess you could categorize this as an AAML One-Shot. Got bored and my internet connection is giving me hell so I decided I'd write this quick story just to kill time. You are free to read but if you choose to do so you are also bound to review! Please? '

Thank You.

Pokémon Characters: Ash, Misty, May, Brock, One of the Beauties (can't reveal the true name just yet, you'll understand once you've read the story)

Disclaimer: I don't own any Pokémon characters, places, or themes. This fan fiction was written purely for entertainment purposes so just read people - and try to enjoy. Reviews, though often rare, are very much appreciated.

Now, Krafty Quill presents…

**Curtains To Love **

.: A Tactless Tales Production :.

It was such a stupid game.

A swift wave of skin curtained ocean blue eyes, refreshing their lazy glares in a long blink. Even after the lashes had flung back into place there wasn't a shed of improvement to the rather dull shade of night. Aiding the glow of the silent moon, vibrant orange flames provided some sort of entertainment for her unfitting presence. Recently, the slimming probability of her being an operational part of such a crowd was growing more questionable. Steady, slothful winds pressed passed her face, leaving a tingling in her cheeks that soon provoked a yawn.

"Look, Misty! He's going to do it!"

Is he now? Misty thought to herself. The joyful face glowing on the opposite side of the campfire hadn't detected her reluctance. May's smile was still intact as she anticipated the scenario that was soon to play out somewhere to her right. Slightly jealous of her content and mildly curious to witness the excitement that amused May's face so, Misty turned to her left, following the attention that captivated the younger girl.

There, a trembling Brock stood with hands shakily gripped to the rim of a water-filled bucket. A tear seeped from his spiky, brown hair and trailed down his cold face before dropping from his jaw. The grey, round boulder before him scratched atop its rigid head with a finger from one of two arms sprouting from its leg-free body. Brock knew that the confusion in Geodude's dark golden eyes would be quenched in a matter of seconds. What he couldn't anticipate were the forces that would put his trembling body to rest. Either way, an agreement, in his perspective, was the only thing more concrete than the rock-like pride to his name and the rocky matter of his favourite type of Pokémon. Nothing would soften the agreement. Not even fear...

The horizontal slits that were his eyes pinched closed - if it was even possible for them to be closed any further. A silent gulp. He pulled back the bucket in preparation to launch. Without a single hint of further thought, his hands flew forward, regrets already pouring into his body as he felt the weight of the bucket lighten from the loss of water. A loud splash echoed through the wearily silent air.

The Geodude, now somewhat submerged, took a moment to process what had just happened; all whilst streams of water traveled its rocky body, stinging drips seeping into various cracks and freezing the random drifts of already cold air. Not to mention water wasn't the favourite element for a Rock Pokémon like itself. The colder and colder it got, the hotter and hotter its temper flared. Stony fists were formed in each trembling hand. A stray fire Brock had never witnessed personally flared in its eyes. Without a single hint of further thought, Geodude's pumped fist drew back...

Misty turned away, unimpressed. Appalled, she watched May's expression lift as unsynchronized groans came from where Brock was. Worse yet, to her other side, Ash was rocking on his back, his arms crossed on his abdomen as if desperately trying to stop his belly from exploding from all the mad laughter. Misty raised an eyebrow; she didn't get it.

"Oh lighten up, Misty," May squeezed out between excited breadths. "It's not like he's going to get a concussion."

"Of course not..." Misty agreed. "To get a concussion, he'd have to have a brain first. No one in their right mind would subject themselves to such pointless violence. Tell me, what exactly did he gain from pulling off that mindless stunt apart from pain and possibly fractured bones?"

"Come on, Misty." Ash sat up, half recovered. "We're just trying to have some harmless fun."

"Heh." Misty shook her head. "I'd hardly call that ifun/ior iharmless/i for that matter."

She didn't enjoy being a 'party-pooper' but lately she'd only find it appropriate that her attitude matured with her body. Still, she should have known that having a younger boyfriend like Ash - or just the mere fact that her boyfriend was Ash - would bring about out these sorts of complications, even if she was only two years his senior. It wasn't that she didn't have a sense of humour. These late night practices were getting a little out of hand and for the developing control freak like her, that wasn't good. Who knew what would happen next...?

Down came a half crippled Brock, crying stomach held in a trembling hand. A groan of both pain and relief left his lips when he dropped himself onto the spread out blanket a little distance away from the fire. May opened her mouth to say something but Brock anticipated it and gave her a thumbs-up before any anxious words could escape her.

"See? He's just fine." May smiled, but Misty didn't. "Now, it's your turn, Misty! Truth or Dare?"

Misty frowned as she thought for a second. "How about ... I tell the truth when I say this game is stupid and then I dare you to all stop playing it?" She smiled at herself happily.

"Um, how about ... NO!" May provoked. If she didn't want to play that's all she had to say, she thought. Such a dead beat girlfriend. How could Ash love someone as boring as Misty over someone as fun and outgoing as her? Boys ... it was probably because she was older and her body was slightly more matured than hers. Thinking about Misty would just make her more jealous. She brushed her aside from her mind for now. "Anyway, Ash. Since your girlfriend here is scared to go that makes it your turn!"

Misty didn't even give that comment a second in her mind. Ash looked at her, searching for approval in the features of her face for him to continue playing. She simply shook her head and mimed 'whatever'. He really wanted to play but if it made her feel left out than he wouldn't. There was only one way to see how serious she felt about it. His secret weapon ... He gave her the puppy dog eyes; at which she instantly smiled but quickly shed the expression from her face. It was an official 'ok' then.

"Okay, um, I choose -" Ash started.

"Don't make him do anything stupid," Misty warned May and Brock - who seemed to have recovered now that he was sitting up with his legs crossed.

"Huh?" Ash thought out loud. He knew that Misty only wanted to protect him but, "Misty, how would you know if I was even going to choose dare?"

"Isn't it obvious?" A confident smirk came to Misty's lips. "I biknow/i/b you, Ash. It's part of the reason we are together silly. You're an adventurous type of guy and you wouldn't settle for 'talk' when you can 'walk'. I don't even have to play this game to find out anything embarrassing about you and I know there are some things you'd rather May and Brock not know. So what reason would you have for choosing, truth?"

"Heh..." May contested, for some reason, jealousy perhaps, she felt that Misty was boasting over her relationship with Ash. She didn't like that. "You might know all about Ash but so do I and so does Brock. In fact, I bet I know something about him that you don't. So, you may know a _few_ things Ash that I don't but the question is, does Ash really know you?"

The redhead frowned, trying her best not to lose to her temper. She didn't like it whenever May would butt into her and Ash's business. "You're just jealous because he chose me. And you know why he chose me? Because I'm older and smarter than you. Because I have bigger brains."

"Pfft," May let out, unconvinced. "More like because you've got bigger -"

"WHOA!" Brock finally stepped in. This position, though familiar now that Misty and May had been fighting more often, was still strange to him. How he wished he could be in Ash's shoes, having two girls fighting over him. He had to fight just to get _one_ girl to like him. "Calm down. That's very unladylike for both of you. And May, I'm disappointed in you for even suggesting that Ash could be that shallow. If you know Ash as well as you say you do then you'd know that that's not true."

The girls both crossed their arms and turned away from each other. May suddenly sighed, realising that Brock was right. "You're right, Brock. I should have never said that about Ash. Sorry if I offended you in any way, Ash. It's just that..."

"It's okay." Ash smiled, not realising that a death stare was focused to the side of his head.

His good qualities where also his flaws, Misty thought, with an angry look to her face. He shouldn't have forgiven her so easily. Not only for insulting him like that but for insulting their relationship by claiming it wasn't anything passed superficial. If there was only a way she could prove to May that she rightfully belonged to Ash...

Though a tad disappointed from her outburst, May still felt she had a point. Before Misty came strolling back into his life, he used to share things with her beside campfire's much like the one burning. Things she was sure Misty didn't know. Misty was back for only a couple of weeks and all of a sudden she and Ash were together? After almost a year of absence? There was no way Ash could've known her _that_ well. People change, but she was with him the whole time Misty was away. She deserved to be with him and she was sure he knew her more than he knew Misty at present. If there was only a way she could prove that to Misty…

Cat fight after cat fight after cat fight. If this was going to go on, Brock would have to invest in some sort of yarn for them to keep themselves busy. Leashes or chains perhaps, or even cages. All this bickering wasn't good for his health. It seemed like the only solution would be for one of them to leave. There certainly wouldn't be as much drama then, but which to go? He enjoyed both of their company in different ways. He shook his head then sighed. If there was only a way for Misty and May to settle this once and for all…

Misty had been his best friend since the very beginning of his journey. After all this time, it was only natural that they'd have grown fond of each other. When she left to run the gym in Cerulean, there was an emptiness in Ash's heart, but it was quickly filled by May's presence. She gave him hope and smiles where Brock and Max couldn't. After all that, it was only natural that they'd have grown fond of each other. He didn't understand why May and Misty couldn't just become good friends too. He didn't want to lose either of them. If there was only a way they could resolve this issue and get it over with…

As if signaled by their wishes, a streak of white descended in the night's clouds, shining brighter than every other star in the sky as it flew to the earth with a dazzling, white tail behind it. A shooting star, they all thought…

"Huh…?"

The rules of gravity were greatly dismissed when the shooting star decided it would swoop around and head back to skies. Eyebrows rose higher and eyes widened even more when the defiant object decided it would swirl around in all sorts of directions, leaving behind foreign patterns scribbled from its extending tail. Then, as suddenly as it started, it just stopped moving. Then, started again? Only, this time, it was heading straight for the campers!

"What is that?" Ash exclaimed, alerted as it got closer.

"That's-that's a bird?" May tried.

"That's a plane?" Brock joined in.

"No," Misty started. "That's corny."

In a flash, an unyielding bright white consumed every inch of darkness around them until they were all forced to shut their eyes from its blinding pressure.

Seconds past and Ash's eyes were still closed. Strangely, his skin suddenly felt warmer. That's when he noticed that the soft whispers of the winds were gone, and the distance croaks had disappeared from his ears' range. For some reason, he felt like he was being watched. His eyelids lifted at once with a swift breadth of excitement from his lips.

"Wha… ?" He almost didn't recognize who was standing in front of him. A dark-green tuxedo was hardly Brock's style after all. His hair was relaxed and flattened to either side of his head, pointy tips barely touching his ears. Ash attempted to look at his shoes but quickly recoiled from the extremely bright shine of the black polish. "B-Brock? Is that you…?"

At the mention of his name, he opened his eyes and found a blue-suited Ash standing in front of him. The flourished rose sticking its red petals out of his chest pocket made him smile a little. Even more awkward was Ash's hair. It had been hidden under the League cap for so long that Brock almost forgot how it looked like. "Ash? Why are dressed like an idiot?"

"What?" Ash suddenly investigated his own clothing. "Blue suit? I never dress in suits!"

"Why, don't feel blue about it. I think that it suitsyou." He snickered.

"Hey," Ash complained. "Look who's talking. You look like an oversized Leppercoun with the worse luck in the world."

"Pfft, at least I don't have a Mohawk." Brock snickered again but suddenly noticed that he had some sort of cue cards in his hand. Leaving Ash in dread of his new hairstyle, he swiftly shuffled through the cards, only skimming through the vast amounts of words. "What am I doing with these? And where are we? And what the? Are you taller than me?"

Ash only noticed that he was about an inch taller than Brock the moment he mentioned it. "I guess so." He smiled nervously as he scratched the back of his head. "Maybe, we are in some sort of parallel universe where everything is opposite of what it should be?"

"Hmmm…" Brock thought with arms crossed above his chest. "That would explain your height, compensating for coming up a little short in the real world."

Ash wasn't even sure what Brock was trying to imply, if anything at all, but he didn't like it. "That would also explain your shiny shoes, compensating for having the dullest object in the real world located somewhere in your head."

"Why I ought to –" He suddenly stopped himself, realizing something. "We are acting like those two. That's pretty scary. We better quit it and figure a way to get out of here and out of these ridiculous clothes."

"That _is_ pretty scary," Ash agreed. Only May and Misty could go back and forth for the entire day dishing out insults to each other. If they weren't transported to this place, the two of them would probably be bickering right now. He had to remember to thank that shooting star or whatever it was. "Have any idea what that shooting star thingy was? And where are May and Misty anyway?"

The rock Pokémon Trainer had already been long lost in thought. Azure eyes. Memories scrambled about in his head. It was dark then suddenly unbearably bright. That's when he saw the azure eyes - before closing his own. When he opened them again, he was here. "I saw a pair of eyes before we were transported here. They definitely weren't human, but somehow familiar…"

"Me too," Ash remembered. "I think it was a Pokémon … with a pink tail. But what Pokémon could possess that much power? To transport us, or play with our subconscious like this, or do whatever it did to all of us?"

Brock investigated the area again. Perhaps if he could discover where they were, it would easily lead to the conductor of their little trip. The wooden tiles shined a faint golden-brown with some sort of honey scent rising to his nose from the freshly applied polish. Dim light pouring from the ceiling lightened the area just enough for him to make out purple curtains behind were Ash was standing. Three cubicles, far behind Brock, were each draped with maroon curtains, completely concealing whatever or whoever was in them. Curious, Brock walked over to one of them, preparing to unveil it when –

**-Stop!-**

Both Ash and Brock held their heads simultaneously, feeling a weary vibration as the childish voice invaded their minds. They looked for comfort in each other eyes' but found nothing but more puzzlement.

"Who … are you?" Ash said out loud.

**-Mew! Silly.-**

"Mew?" If that was true than it would coincide with the blue eyes and pink tail Ash said he saw, Brock thought, but what business would a Legendary have with them?

**-Business? No business here. Only fun!-** It channeled the message to both their minds excitedly. -**Now, listen closely. With all of your minds in union with my physic powers, brings this fusion to answer your request for a solution. Together, the four of you seek a similar seed, only such incredibly joint minds could be taken to heed, and thus I grant you all the tools that you need, to discover the answers you please. As you wished, all will be settled when this task is done, but most importantly remember you are here to have fun! Bye, bye.-** And with a final childish giggle, their minds were at peace again.

"Did you hear that?" Ash was astonished at the thought that anything could interact with him telepathically. "I can't believe this."

"I know," Brock agreed. "You'd think that a Legendary Pokémon could come up with better rhymes. I mean, come on, it's Mew for crying out loud. I've heard better nursery rhymes. At least Mew should've –"

"Brock!" The exclamation was enough to snap Brock out of his semi-panicked state. Ash couldn't blame him though, hearing voices was one of the first signs of insanity. "You're missing the point. Let's try to think what Mew was actually trying to say with those disjointed lyrics. Something about our minds being in union - all four us looking for the same thing. Hmmm … what were you thinking about before Mew brought us here?"

Brock took himself back moments before the flash of bright light and tried to remember. A long droop of saliva suddenly drooped from the corner of his lips, and his tanned cheeks grew a faint shade of red. "I was thinking about Nurse Joy…" Ash suddenly had a worried look to his face. "That short skirt … underneath … I was wondering what –"

"WHOA! Enough!" Ash slapped his lips before any more scandalous words could escape. "Well, I was kind of hoping Misty and May could stop all their bickering. Mew said we were all thinking of the same thing though, so, that must mean –"

"You have a major crush on Nurse Joy too?"

A hot slap crossed Brock's face, echoing as Ash's hands met his skin. "NO! It means you should've been wanting Misty and May to settle their differences too. Maybe even for a split second. Even _you_ have to have your mind off girls sometimes…"

The truth in that statement wasn't so decipherable to Brock. Nevertheless, now that Ash mentioned it, he remembered that he did want the two girls to get along for a split second back there. If what Mew said was true then that would be case for Misty and May too. Mew did say that after the task was complete all would be settled, but what were these 'tools' it supposedly granted them? He lifted his left hand to his chin to help his thought, but only used his left hand because –

"The cue cards!" He held up his right hand. Obviously, Mew would have wanted him to read them. So he cleared his throat and put his best reading voice on. "Welcome to 'Curtains To Love', I'm your host, Brock Slate, and our contestant today is none other thee Ash Ketchum! Here to discover just how deep his bond with his girlfriend, Misty, is! Now, would you all give him a warm welcome?"

"Huh? Brock, are you okay? Who are talking to… "

Suddenly, the huge curtains behind Ash peeled open. Turning around, Ash's eyeballs threatened to pop out if they were any wider. Thousands of deafening cheers and clapping hands flooded his ears, stirring his blood cold with nervousness. There were millions of eyes in the packed arena, watching his every move – which would only be the slight tilt of his neck as he scouted the crowd. The rest of his body was simply too afraid to move.

Huge video recorders and cameras were mounted over several black-dressed men's shoulders, slowly twirling around him to ensure that every curve, expression, pimple, twitch, cringe, blink, every drop of sweat, from his body could be seen from every angle. The cruel men, happily exploiting his fear as they pounced about in their black gear with the words 'Curtains To Love Camera Crew' printed on their t-shirts, gave a thumbs-up to Brock.

Brock winked, apparently unaffected by the daunting crowd, and returned the gesture. He sneaked over to Ash's ears and whispered to him. "Just play along and we should be out of here in no time."

"B-But –"

A friendly slap to the shoulder silenced him at once. Brock turned his attention back to the crowd. "Thank you, thank you." He bowed to his audience. It took several seconds before the noise finally died down and gave his voice a voice again. "Thanks for the applause, now, let's get the show started!"

Two armchairs suddenly swooped onto the stage, Brock leaping onto his; bottom first, while Ash's had to knock him in the back of the knees to get him to sit. "Now," the host said, half reading of the cue cards. "Let's bring out the Loves!"

The entire arena seemed to have some sort of compliance with Brock's voice, perhaps an enchantment to Mew's credit. At his command, the three draped cubicles they had discovered earlier, slid onto the stage and took position between and behind where Brock and Ash were seated. Slowly, it was all coming to Ash. Misty and May were in those cubicles! But, who was in the last one? There wasn't anyone else at camp with them and he couldn't imagine who else would've wanted May and Misty to quit their squabbling at the exact precise moment the four of them did.

"This is how it goes, Ash." Brock sounded way too knowledgeable for Ash's liking. His eccentric smile, even if faked for the sake of television, seemed to annoy him. "In these three booths behind us are three people you are very well acquainted with. In one, is supposedly your true love…" The crowd gave a generous cheer. "In the other two, are true duds…" Boos and hoots raided the audience.

"Your mission is to determine which booth hosts your true love! Easy isn't it? And there is only one catch." He shifted his eyes dangerously. "We have derived a set of appropriate questions from which you will randomly select two to ask them, and only two! Of course, their voices will be distorted so you cannot easily identify which one is your true love, but even this should be no hurdle if you are _that_ involved, right?"

"… I guess …" Ash said in a very quite voice, making sure his eyes didn't stray an inch away from Brock's. He couldn't handle all the prying hounds seated in the seats behind him.

"Well then, shall we begin?" Ash opened his mouth to answer the question but the crowd beat him to it, all yelling 'yes' in an unsynchronized union. Brock pulled out three red cards, with pink heart designs on the back, and showed them to Ash. "Now, which question shall it be?"

Ash stuck his tongue out as he examined the cards carefully, almost expecting to see through them to the other side. When he finally decided that it didn't really matter, he tapped once on the centre one.

"Okay!" Brock said excitedly. The two neglected cards vanished, leaving only the chosen one between Brock's fingers. He set his eyes on the text and began to read. "Question number one to our hidden beauties is: What are you most passionate about? Beauty number one, what is your answer?"

Silence swept over the entire arena, even the tongue happy audience had their lips ceiled. After long seconds, a deep breadth echoed through the stage as the first beauty took a breadth into the microphone.

Beauty I: "What am I most passionate about?" (The voice sounded like it had traveled a thousand telephone lines then took a deep dive into the bottom of the pacific before reaching their ears.) "Pokémon, of course! Not just for battles though, I love to tend to and care for the cute, little, snuggly, creatures too!"

That didn't exactly sound like Misty, Ash thought. She did always like to take care of that Togepi though, and she did use to call some Pokémon cute… Brock signaled for the next Beauty to answer.

Beauty II: "Well, you know exactly what I'm most passionate about, Ash! Just like you, I get a thrill from Pokémon Battles! I even want to be a Pokémon Master too! Except, I'm only specializing in one type of Pokémon. My favourite type!"

That one had to be Misty. He knew that she loved training water Pokémon and if there was thing she would say to make him choose her, it would be that! Brock signaled for the next Beauty to answer.

Beauty III: "It's easy to tell you what I'm most passionate about, almost everybody knows that. But, do they know what I don't like? I hate it when people criticize me about the way I am, the way I choose to dress – pfft, a tomboy - and the things I do. I didn't exactly fit in at home … That's why I left and eventually joined –"

"Times up!" Brock stopped the beauty. Ash thought hard on this one. Misty could've chosen to tell him something only a few other people know. Something more personal to show how much they knew each other. He knew about her past with her sisters and the tomboy thing, and even if she didn't finish the sentence he knew that last word was going to be 'you'. Could this one be Misty? III, or II, or I? Surprisingly, he wasn't sure!

"Okay, Ash, time for you to choose the last question. Make it a wise choice. This question could be the difference between victory and loss." Brock presented him with three more cards.

How could a random choice ever be considered wise? Ash thought. "Anyway, I choose the one on the left this time."

"Okay!" Brock said excitedly. The two neglected cards vanished once again, leaving only the chosen one between Brocks fingers. He set his eyes on the text and began to read. "Question number two to our hidden beauties is: What do you think you know about me – Ash - that no one else does? Beauty one?"

Beauty I: "Let me see … something nobody else knows. I wouldn't want to embarrass you, Ash, but I know what your mother always has to remind you to pack before every journey … I even know where you pack them in your bag…"

Ash's cheeks suddenly flared up an awkward red. He made sure not to look anyway near the cameras now. Misty had definitely been to his house and even slept in his room before. It wouldn't surprise him if she overheard his mother being over motherly during her stay. Brock signaled the next Beauty.

Beauty II: "Everybody knows that we've been traveling together for a long time, Ash. But only you and I know the real reason why I've been with you since the day I met you. Only you and I both know the real reason why I had followed you and what the excuse was. Two things the others don't know.

Of course, Ash thought. She had been following him since the day he met her by the riverside and eventually ended up taking blame for her torched bicycle. She planned on following him until he gave her a new one but now she's admitted that was just an excuse, not that he hadn't figured that out already though. Brock signaled for the next Beauty to answer.

Beauty III: "What I know, other people may know, but have never experienced it before, not like us. We have both had that type of relationship with our Pokémon. We know what they fear, what they love and what they need. Any barriers to communication are non existent for people like us."

That was true. Ash was very close to Pikachu and had no problems at all communicating with him. Same went for Misty and Togepi. Maybe she was trying to establish just how similar they were in their likes. Just as other things, they both really liked Pokémon _that_ much.

"Okay, that's all, ladies and gentlemen," Brock spoke. "Our Beauties have spoken and now it's time for the contestant to make his pick. Will he choose the true love or a true dud?" He turned to the shied boy. "So, Ash, which one will it be? Beauty One, Two, or Three?"

"Hmm…"

"But before you choose, let me just inform you that there will be no losers today! Because you, and whichever Beauty you choose, will win a trip to Saffron Islands, where you will spend a week in the most luxurious hotel Stranbon, have all the food you can eat and explore the divine tourist attractions of the beautiful Island. You wouldn't want to spend such a glamorous week with the wrong person now would you? No pressure, right? Now, make your pick!"

If there was any pressure, it was lessened to some extent when he heard the part about 'all the food you can eat'. That alone was enough reason for him to go there. Almost enough; he still wanted to make sure that he chose the right person. So he quickly revised his choices.

Beauty I seemed like the fun side to Misty. Everything she said seemed so cherry and she seemed to know information about him that he was sure he hadn't shared with anyone. But in relation to her answers she didn't seem to know an awful lot of serious things about him. Her strongest passion, though very much Misty, seemed more like an extension to what Misty's real passion would be: To be a water Pokémon Master.

Beauty II seemed to know exactly how to respond. She had most of Misty's well-known traits and qualities but somehow, her answers were a little questionable. Though she did mention that she wanted to be a Pokémon Master of a specific type of Pokémon, she never mentioned that it was the water type. Also, she hinted at knowing why she still followed him after all this time but never actually gave any indication that she herself knew. Could it be a dud, who somehow knew general information about Misty, put there just to throw him off with mere facts?

Beauty III seemed like the new Misty, the growing Misty. She spoke of relatively serious issues in both her answers. There was a clear difference between her and the other two. Could that difference be so great that it strayed out of the scope of 'Misty'? He simply didn't know this new emerging Misty well enough to answer that question. Also, she responded to the second question by stating the strong bond they shared with their Pokémon but he and Misty surely couldn't be the only two people on the planet to know that feeling, could they?

So much ambiguity and statements open to discussion. The roaring crowd wasn't exactly helping either, yelling out 'one', 'two', 'three', in an uncalculated attempt to help him choose a Beauty. Brock had his arms crossed and his foot busy tapping on the floor. After a little more thought, Ash finally decided he knew which one to pick.

"I'm ready," he informed the host.

The crowds quieted down. "Well," Brock started. "Which one will it be?"

"No hard feelings, ladies, okay?" He smiled nervously. "Based on what I've heard and what I've witnessed lately, I will have to say that Beauty number three seems to be more like Misty than not. Who else could know that much about Misty's past than Misty herself? With that said, I choose Beauty III!"

A mixture of cheers and boos rippled within the crowd as a fire alarm sounding bell began to ring. Flashes of red light pulsed on and off in the entire arena, and the little golden bulbs on the sides of the third cubicle brightened up. When the pandemonium finally died down, Brock spoke again.

"Number three it is, then! But before we whisk you and your Beauty off to that romantic adventure, let us reveal to you the Beauties you didn't choose. Beauty number one, come on out!"

The curtains covering the first cubicle rose. First, small pink-painted toes at the bottom of red high heels, slowly, as the curtain rose, it revealed a pair of shins moving up into a ruby dress at the knees. With nothing left to hide Beauty number one, she left the booth and took a seat next to a chair that suddenly appeared next to Ash. Auburn eyes looked sadly at him. The glittering eyelashes and rosy lipstick were all for nothing. Still, she managed to smile.

"I guess I was wrong." May sighed. "I should give you more credit for knowing her so well. From now on, I'll stop sticking my nose where it doesn't belong."

Ash put an arm around her shoulders and pulled her closer to him. "Oh May, you don't have to do that." He gently pressed his lips on her forehead. "You're a really good friend to me too. One question though, what you said about my mom reminding me what to pack, how did you know that?"

A rush of red invaded May's cheeks. "You see, there was this morning when you and broke woke up early. We camped near a river and well, I kind of accidentally saw you guys washing your 'you-know-whats' then I overheard you telling Brock about your mother. Later at night, when they had dried, you tried to sneak them back into your bag but I saw were you put them. You seemed awfully shy about it so I guessed it wasn't something you told many people about."

"Wow, I've never had a stalker before." He earned a playful elbow from May for that comment. "I'm only kidding with you." He smiled nervously as he scratched the back of his head. "I wonder who Beauty number two is though…"

"Let's find out!" Brock exclaimed. "Step on out, Beauty number two!"

The curtains once again complied with Brock's command. This time, the feet were safely tucked in a pair of open slippers. A half-dress covered only one of her long, slender legs and a matching blue swimsuit top covered her sheers. Beauty number two took a seat on the other side of Ash. The familiar glint of disappointment lingered in the ocean-blue eyes piercing Ash's own. May had to cover her mouth with both hands to withhold the laughter.

"YOU IDIOT!" Misty complained. "I want to be a water Pokèmon Master. Only you and I know the true story about the bike! What more did you need?"

Ash laughed nervously. "Sorry, Misty. I couldn't be too sure. You never did say 'water' Pokémon exactly, plus I wasn't sure if you knew what you were talking about with the 'whole only you and I know' thing."

"He's right about the water thing though, Misty," May helped him. "For all he knew you could have been talking about Bug Pokémon!"

Misty cringed at the thought. "Well, I hope you enjoy your week with whoever it is in there then! Don't do anything you wouldn't do … without … me …"

He quickly put an arm around her and pulled her closer to him. He lifted up her chin and placed a simple kiss on her lips, clearing her teary eyes with the easy gesture. "It's only a week. I'll be back real soon, maybe even sooner than planned, because I can only have so much fun without you there." They hugged each other.

"Awwwlllllllllllllllllllll," the crowd sighed, even May couldn't but help feel a little sad but happy for them at the same time.

"Don't feel too bad, ladies and gentlemen," Brock returned with his all business attitude. "Let's see who the lucky Beauty is that gets to travel with our strapping, young contestant. Beauty number three, walk on out girl!"

The final cubicle's curtains rose. Black boots extended almost halfway up to the knees. The long pink gown kept every inch of the slightly bulky figure hidden save the masculine arms. Beauty number three took a seat facing Ash. Everybody in the entire arena, and probably everyone watching at home, were picking up their jaws from off the floor. Misty had to slap Ash's face to get him to shake off the pure shock and horror of Beauty number three's identity. Of all the people … somehow, he felt like he should've known.

"J-James…?" Ash said, eyes still widened.

"That's right, Ashy, I'm your biggest fan and I was hoping these two knuckle heads could quit fighting over you so you could be mine! We belong together and this little test proved it!" James said excitedly in a high-pitched voice.

"But how could I get it so wrong, how could I mistake you for Misty?" Ash shook his head, trying to remember the reasons he chose number three. "You must have lied then! You said you had problems with you sisters at home and that was the reason you joined me! The way you dress, the tomboy thing! You said you had such a strong bond with Pokémon and that you had no problem communicating with them! That's not fair," he said to Brock. "How am I supposed to know that they are allowed to lie?"

Brock's mouth was still busy being wide open in shock to allow him to talk. James stepped in. "Watch your tongue baby boy! I didn't lie!"

"B-but you're a guy, first of all! Plus, you're from Team Rocket! That's what you guys are good at!"

"Why, I never," he complained. "Listen to me, dear. I didn't mention a thing about sisters, I simply said I didn't fit in at home and that's the reason I left and eventually ended up joining **_Team Rocket_**, not joining you – though I will be in a second."

Ash almost threw up at the thought.

"The dress thing? If you haven't noticed, I still do sometimes wear dresses and people know full well that I am a man yet title me as a 'tomboy' and hence hint that I am really female. All the teasing … that's one of reasons I ran away. And yes, I did say I had a relationship with my Pokémon but I never said it was a 'strong bond'. I know what Meowth hates, likes and needs from all my travels with him. You know how I know that without having a strong bond? Because he **_tells_** me! That's right, he can talk, remember? That's why there are no barriers to our communication!"

Ash, Misty, Brock and May sweat-dropped before falling down with their chairs. It was ridiculous but honest in a way. James tiptoed over to the fallen contestant and picked him up by the wrist, dragging him off stage as he pinched his cheeks and filled him in on all the fun they were going to have.

**The End **

How was that for a twist? Did anybody figure it out before the end? '

I'm curious to know which Beauty you thought Misty was before it was all revealed, so please just include it in your review. Thanks for reading. ;)

Peace.


End file.
